The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-09-15
A Wonderful Well.


About ITO miles east of Ell Paso,
near Sierra Blanca, on the line of the
Texas & Pacihc Railroad, there is a
strange phenomenon that has just
come to public notice. The authority
for the statements about to be made is
ex-Gov. John @. Brown of Tennessee.
receiver of the Texas & Pacific, who
visited this city a few days ago, ac-
companied by several officials of the
road, including Division Superinten-
dent Judy, in whose jurisdiction the
phenomenon is located. Gov. Brown
and Superintendent Judy told the
story to one or two persons here and
it has just come to the reporters ears.
About three years ago the Texas &
Pacific Railway Company undertook
to sink an artesian well a few miles
below Sierra Blanca, which is a little
hamlet ninety-five miles east of El
Paso. The workmen put the pipe
down about 600 feet, when suddenly
an underground cavern was struck,
and the drill dropped about six feet
and current of air rushed up the
pipe. Drilling ceased and the well
was abandoned, the 600 feet of pipe
remaining in the ground and giving a
connection between the surface of the
earth and the strange subterranean
cavity quarter of mile beneath.
The phenomenon did not at that
time attract the attention of any one
sufficiently interested to investigate.
Recently, however, Superintendent
Judy's attention has been called to it,
and his personal examination and in
quiries have developed peculiar facts
and testimony about the wonderful
well. Gov. Brown stopped to see it
on his way here, Not many people
live near the well, but those who do
reside in the neighborhood of it are
thoroughly acquainted with it ever
since it was abandoned three years
ago. The people near by have been
in the habit of going and sitting about
the well in summer to enjoy the cool,
invigorating air that rushes up the
pipe. One of the strangest things is
the fact that the current of air Gibbs
about 10:15 a. m. till 1915 p. m. q
current of air rushes out of the pipe
with a sound that resembles the noise
made by a locomotive "blowing of
steam," and so loud that it can be
heard for forty or fifty yards. At
1915 p. N. the overflow air ceases and
strong suction sets in, which last for
the next twelve hours, this ebb and
flow continuing day after day, and it
has been observed by horsemen that
whenever they get in the neighbor-
hood of this well strong magnetic
forces are felt and sparks are given off
if the horses name is touched.
Recently a man from Sierra Blanca
was sitting close to the well, and
on taking out his pocket-knife found
nail which he had in his pocket
clinging to the knife. He held the
knife in the current of air and found
the magnetic property was greatly in
creased. Several weeks ago Superin-
tendent Judy; held his pocket-knife in
the current Of air for four minutes and
the knife is still strongly magnetizsd
from the effect. The Outfiowing cur
rent of air is believed to possess re-
markable curative properties. It's
efficiency is to be tested by expert
ments upon eases of paralysis and
other diseases. The people who live
near the wonderful we'll call it the
Fountain of Youth. Paso (1eI,
Letter to st, Louis Repnblioays.